Are people who collect disability accounted for in the unemployment figures?

Some are, some are not.

First, anyone in an institution (assisted living facility, retirement home, etc) are not included in the population used for Labor Force Statistics.

Second, as others have stated, Unemployed is defined as wanting to work, available to work, and actively looking for work. You can work while collecting social security benefits (including disability) but there is a limit on income. Since there are about 2.4 million who are collecting social security (retired or disabled) while working, we can assume that some disabled are actively looking for work and classified as unemployed.

Note...the Unemployment numbers come from a household survey. It is not a mail survey..the initital interview is a house visit, and subsequent interviews can be by phone (households are in the survey 16 months). Eligibility or receipt of UI benefits have never never ever been part of classifying someone as unemployed.

yes and no

the unemployment numbers are NOT a hard count of the number of people without a job in the US

the department of labor mails out a survey each month to 60,000 people

in the survey they ask if you are employed or unemployed

and if unemployed, are you looking for a job

only those unemployed, who are looking for a job, are counted as unemployed

2. so it is not and never has been a actual count of unemployed

they do NOT use the number collecting unemployment to calculate the number, because 70% of those unemployed, do not even qualify for unemployment checks

If you are talking about State Disabiity benefits, that is processed through the EDD so it should be counted. As far as SSI and SSDI disability, I dont know if that is factored as part of the unemployment numbers.

There are several sets of figures regarding unemployment, depending upon exactly which aspects of the issue under discussion.

All one has to know about the employment situation is that there are more individuals in the working age range now then there was five years ago. There are less jobs now then there was five years ago. The unemployment rate continues to drop. So, what is it actually measuring?

No. Unemployment figures are compiled from those who draw unemployment, not disability.

PS - Unemployment figures don't include the unemployed who don't draw unemployment either.

No. Unemployment figures represent people who are willing and able to work and who are seeking employment.

Unemployment does not include them if they are not looking for a job...

but it does include people who are not on unemployment...

http://www.bls.gov/cps/cps_htgm.htm#where

If you're disabled (and not cheating), by definition you're incapable of working. So of course not. That would be misleading.

Nope

And that's where they went.